Jealous Fox
by mellra
Summary: This is based off The Infamous Man's challenge on 'What if Naruto was betrayed by Konoha and comes back as a Bleach character' challenge. My idea is: 'What if Naruto was betrayed by Konoha and comes back as one of the homonculi from Fullmetal Alchemist' For this one I chose Envy and it will be an eventual Envy/Hina pairing.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the anime/manga/movies/etc. that I write about; otherwise I would be a millionaire NOT writing on fanfiction publishing my own ideas.

**Summary:** This is based off The Infamous Man's challenge on 'What if Naruto was betrayed by Konoha and comes back as a Bleach character' challenge. My idea is: 'What if Naruto was betrayed by Konoha and comes back as one of the homonculi from Fullmetal Alchemist?' For this one I chose Envy and it will be an eventual Envy/Hina pairing.

**Jealous Fox**

"_Goodbye…Edward…Elric"_

The Homunculus known as Envy awoke with a start. He took on the appearance as a pale-skinned androgynous youth with a lean muscular build and bulging biceps. He has long, wispy hair that is black with a tint of green to it and violet-pupiled eyes. He wears a black form-fitting bodysuit with a matching headband, which has a triangular symbol on it. The last distinguishing feature was the Ouroboros symbol tattooed on his left thigh. Envy shook his head, trying to clear the cobwebs in his mind and trying to remember what happened. He remembered tricking the foolish girl from Xing to take him back to Central, regaining his powers from the Philosopher Stone fueled dolls, fighting and being utterly humiliated by that infuriating Colonel Mustang, and finally that Fullmetal pipsqueak Edward Elric further shaming him by discovering his reason for hating humans: he was jealous of them. He was jealous of how they always helped each other, how they could live happiness filled lives, how they could…how they could have an actual family and have someone to love them. The shame of it all ultimately lead to his suicide by destroying his own Philosopher Stone, so how was he still alive!

Envy forced himself out of his thoughts to take in his surroundings. He appeared to be in a vast white space with nothing really in sight. The artificial human turned around and gasped at what he saw. Floating before him was a large gate, many times larger than himself, and it was covered in alchemic drawings. He knew of this gate, it was the Portal of Truth, the one Father tried to create when he made Gluttony. Envy remembered seeing a glimpse of it when Edward transported himself, Envy, and the brat prince Ling out of Gluttony's stomach. The Homunculus tried to figure out why he was here when a voice sounded behind him.

"**Hello, Mr. Homunculus."**

Envy spun around and saw a figure that wasn't there a few seconds ago. It looked like an outline for a human being that was all white with a shadowy outline for the body. The voice the being used was similar to the voice of his true, larger form in that it sounded like many people talking at once. Normally Envy would rudely demand who the being was but he had a feeling that this being before him was many times more powerful than himself, possibly more powerful than Father, and instead asked in a more respectful tone, "Who are you?"

The being seemed to smile and spoke in a slightly mocking tone, "**Oh, I'm glad you asked! I go by many names: I am the World. I am Universe. I am God. I am Truth. I am All. I am One, and I am You.**"

Envy was stunned; this was the being Father wanted to acquire; the one he would use to become God! He didn't know whether to bow or to run, but his pride wouldn't let him. Despite Pride's insistence he knew that he felt more than just envy, though it was the most dominant of his emotions. The Jealous then asked, "And what would you want with me, Truth?"

Truth's smile seemed to grow larger and he/she/it said, "**Well, if you must know, I've decided to give you another chance at life Envy the Jealous, or should I call you Naruto Uzumaki?**"

Envy was about to demand what Truth was talking about when his head seemed to split in agony! Memories from a different time, or life, flashed before his eyes: _A young boy with wild blond hair, blue eyes, and whisker-marked cheeks stumbled into a village holding an unconscious black haired boy. Both were battered and bruised and looked on their last leg, but the moment they entered the village men wearing black clothes and white masks with the kanji for 'Root' in the center apprehended the blond while carrying the black haired boy away to the hospital. A few hours later a trial was held in the center of the village. _

_"I, Danzo, Sixth Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, with the agreement of the Clan Heads, the Village Council, and the Elders, declare you a traitor. You have brought shame and dishonor upon the entire village. You were ordered to capture Sasuke Uchiha and return him to Konoha. Permission was given to use force if necessary. But instead, you attempted to murder him…"_

_If Naruto wasn't chained and manacled and he didn't have the cursed gag in his mouth, he would have ranted and screamed and hurled abuse at the mummy. But he wasn't able to. Naruto's face was mauled and scarred, courtesy of Sakura and the mob that attacked him, and breathing hurt him sorely, thanks to the two point blank Chidori he had received during his battle with Sasuke. He stared at them from under his eyebrows, his neck bent under the heavy steel collar; his eyes filled with betrayal, hate…and despair._

_"…He surrendered peacefully, but you attacked anyway. Eye-witnesses reported it. Sasuke Uchiha was nearly killed by your brutal assault. Your betrayal nearly destroyed the last of the Uchiha Clan, and nearly cost Konoha her finest ninja. It is decided that you will be taken from this place and suffer execution three days hence, as should have been done when you were a child. The Kyūbi no Yōko is a threat to this village, one that should have been destroyed long ago, and it is clear that you no longer have the will or strength to suppress it."_

_Danzo stood and to the cheers and roars of approval, he waved a hand to the two Root ANBU members, declaring, "Take the jinchuriki away."_

_The holding cell was large and bare. There were a dozen thick steel bars across the entrance, but there was a small door through them which allowed the guards in. Naruto's wrists were manacled, with long chains attached to the walls, stretching his arms to breaking point. His neck was held in a large collar, attached to a chain to the ceiling, and every time he breathed or moved his neck the sharp edges cut deep into his skin, causing blood to run down his naked chest. His legs were manacled to the floor, spread out from each other, so that he resembled a five-pointed star._

_ He had found out from his jailors what happened, apparently one of the village elders named Danzo had held a political coup on Tsunade, forcing her from the village and, with the help of his personal Root ANBU and backing from a majority of Konoha's civilians and a few of its ninja, had placed the man as the official Sixth Hokage. Some of the shinobi tried to fight against it, but they were quickly silenced due to blackmail, public executions, or they simply 'disappeared'. _

_On the first day, Ibiki Morino and his Torture and Interrogation squad had entered the cell and had set to work on him. By the time they left, many hours later, his ribs were fractured, one of his eyes was blinded, his skin was burnt, his legs were broken and twisted, and he had more bruises than he could count._

_Later the same day Kakashi entered. He walked right up to Naruto, watching him mournfully. "To think that I broke my own rule..., I truly am a scum... Never have I thought I'd be alive to also break the one for the Chidori." Kakashi lamented with grief heavy in his voice, "I won't deny that I ignored you... It's not that you are worthless. On the contrary, you were the most valuable person that was entrusted to me. I saw you as someone strong…, who stood tall against any challenges…, who never gave up. I truly believed that you could have surpassed anything." His voice filled with pride, "Yet… I never was able to look beyond your mask. Ironic, isn't it? Coming from someone who wore one all his life? Sigh… talk about looking underneath the underneath. Naruto… I have no right, but… I'm sorry… for so many things..., for leaving you … even now. I wish I could, but there wasn't any safe way. This is the only chance to see you again." It was hanging, but he knows what could have followed: 'For the last time.' … "For all that is worth…, I'm sorry."_

_"Hey…sensei? Can I ask a favour, even if I don't deserve it?" His mismatched eyes regained a bit of life, yet turned steel with resolve. He can almost sense his eagerness..., for that he believes this one wish will be granted. _

_He finally looked up. For the last time in this realm…, he made his request with a small, but true smile. "Please… protect them for me."_

_Naruto watched him retreat, silent as the grave._

_His 'friends' came that day. Rock Lee, Shino, Shikamaru, Choji, Ino, Neji, and Kiba were silent, standing in the background as the others sneered and gloated. Sakura insulted him and spat on him, declaring the hate she had felt since they had first formed the team. The others students followed suit, blaming him for the misfortunes of their clans and those who died thirteen years before. Finally they all left, Naruto as silent as ever._

_Then..._

_"Hello, dobe."_

_Naruto's eye looked up, staring straight into the Sharingan, the only light in the dark cell. He could barely discern Sasuke, only as a dark shape in the pitch blackness. He was mildly surprised to realise they had let him into the cell. Sasuke sneered as Naruto struggled to raise his head, his eye filled with venomous hate. He forced himself to stand upright, but the chains restricted his movements, and he could feel his damaged body click and snap in some places. He glared at Sasuke._

_"Now, now, Naruto. That's no way to look at the new Uchiha Clan Head," smirked Sasuke, showing him the ring he wore on his finger. It showed the Uchia crest on a band of silver and gold. Sasuke punched him clean in the stomach, his eyes livid. Naruto snarled at the pain. Sasuke had gotten stronger. His sealed chakra meant that he hurt all the more._

_"So Sasuke, how come…?" he asked. Naruto tugged on his chains, making them rattle. Sasuke, understanding, smiled darkly._

_"Kukuku. Allow me to explain. Think about it. I am the last loyal Uchia. My Sharingan promises Konoha's continued authority over the rest of the world. The village has more need of the Sharingan then the Kyūbi no Yōko. My children and theirs will have the Sharingan, and from that Konoha can conquer all the Lands. The council came to me offering a most intriguing proposal; remain loyal to Konoha, and they will give me all the power I want. They've already begun." He held up the ANBU mask at his side and placed it over his face, but Naruto couldn't discern the image painted on._

_"But they have still more to offer. I might become Hokage, how about I take that dream of yours as well?"_

_Naruto snorted and leant forward again, ignoring Sasuke._

_"Did you come here for a reason, or just to spout crap, douchebag?" hissed Naruto. He was going to die. He wasn't going to be polite now._

_Sasuke smirked again, his Sharingan livid. "Yes; the village has decided to make me your executioner. They thought it only fitting as the Head of the Uchiha Clan and the one you nearly murdered. From you, I will gain the Mangekyo Sharingan, and become even stronger, all thanks to you."_

_He turned and left, leaving the cell dark again. Naruto couldn't help it. He giggled. He giggled like a child, his voice rising. Chortling, laughing, and guffawing. He heard the guards and Sasuke stop still as they listened to the laughter of a madman. The cerulean eye gleamed like fire._

_The next few hours were silent and still. As the sun set and the moon arose, a storm struck the village. Freezing rain struck the outside of the prison and seeped through the wall, the cold chilling his blood. The second day began warm and dry, but the inside of Naruto's cell was still cold. He heard the tramp of feet approaching the cell._

_"Here he is. Be quick," hissed one voice, a guard, nervously._

_"Yes," said a second voice, quietly._

_He continued looking down, his eye focused on the ground._

_"N-N-Naruto-kun?" stuttered the second voice. The voice was sad and heavy, panting with fear and worry._

_Naruto looked up, fixing his baleful cerulean glare on the bars. The voice whimpered in surprise and sadness upon seeing his ruined body._

_"Who is there?" he asked hoarsely._

_The bars creaked and the small door opened and Hinata stepped inside. Fat tears coursed down her soft face, her eyes wet and shining. She slowly, cautiously walked towards the prisoner. When she was a mere foot away, she stopped and knelt so that Naruto looked down at her._

_"Hinata? What are you doing here? Come to spit at the cornered rat as well?" His lips twisted in an insane grin, his eye mad and wild._

_Hinata looked pained at his words and shook her head worriedly, crying harder. "Forgive me Naruto-kun."_

_Naruto blinked in surprise. Barely anyone had said they were sorry, except Teams 9, 10, Kakashi and the rest of Team 8, and for the teams it was even then indirectly, by their sad faces and the intense airs of self-loathing. He softened somewhat, but his eye still held the insane gleam._

_"Don't worry Hinata; it's enough to know that someone doesn't hate me." He smiled at her._

_Hinata smiled through her tears, her lips quivering._

_" N-no, Naruto-kun. I c-came here to…to t-tell you something… and if I don't do it now, I-I-I'll never get the chance…" She started to hyperventilate._

_Naruto watched her closely, confused and unsure of what was going on. Hinata regained her breath and then said, "N-Naruto-kun…for a long time now, I've…I've…" She stopped again, then, scrunching up her face, blurted out, "I love you Naruto-kun!" then dropped her face into her hands and wept._

_Naruto stood there speechless. He couldn't wrap his mind around Hinata, sweet, innocent, shy, beautiful, gentle…_

_He made the links all in an instant. Her shyness around him. Kiba's and Shino's odd comments about her crush and her unwillingness to ever speak about it. Her shyness about him, her odd mannerisms. 'Perhaps if I noticed earlier, I might have…'_

_"I am sorry, Hinata," he whispered._

_She looked back at him in confusion, then abject depression, her shakes and quivers intensifying. He realised it a moment later. She thought he was saying he didn't feel the same way._

_"If I had known you felt that way," he continued, hoping to save the situation, "Perhaps, perhaps I might have…"_

_Hinata silenced him by grabbing his cheeks in her hands and kissing him. He was so surprised he couldn't react for a minute, but finally his mind kicked back in and he responded. It was clumsy and messy, but it was sweet. Finally, she pulled back, holding his face in her hands. Whispering…whispering…whispering…_

_"I love you Naruto-kun…"_

_"I…love you too." And he was surprised to find he meant it. What a fool he had been, wasting his life on the tramp Sakura. "Will you wait for me?" he asked as footsteps approached._

_She nodded and kissed him again. "I will."_

_Naruto grinned up at the two Root members. "No worries, guys. Just help me a bit with the cuffs and everything else will be fine, dattebayo!"_

_The two men said nothing, silently removing the chains from the walls to retie to him later at the gallows. As they dragged him unresisting from the cell and through the prison, the Kyubi sighed. '__**Well, Kit, it looks like the end is here. Afraid?**__'_

_'You?'_

_'__**Of course I am! I doubt there is an afterlife for me. And even if there is, all these fools who controlled me have pretty much guaranteed it'll be Hell.**__'_

_'Sorry, Kyubi,' Naruto thought as they were brought into the blinding sunlight, and heard the roar of the crowd._

_'__**Don't be. Of all the humans I could have died with, I doubt many would be as brave as you kit. When you get to paradise or whatever, think of me, eh?**__'_

_'Sure' thought Naruto sadly as he realised that, despite the animosity between them, the Kyubi cared for him in a way, and he would never see or hear him again._

_'__**Showtime,**__' they thought together, grinning sickly at each other as Naruto was bound between two pillars of stone on the gallows so that he stood as if crucified._

_The wooden platform was built in directly in the middle of the village square, and to either side were the leaders of the village. In front of him was the entire village, everyone gathered to see the 'event'. Some were on the ground, some on top of the buildings. They were all cheering and laughing, hollering for the death of the demon. A few pelted rotten food and refuse at him. However, in the corner of his vision, atop one of the buildings, a small group huddled, alone. He caught a glimpse of Team 8 and Team Guy, as well as the Konhamaru Corps and Asuma with his team sitting on the roof together, watching the scene below. He saw Hinata being held by Kurenai, watching him and he could just about see her shoulders shaking._

_Danzo raised his hands for silence. The crowd slowly mumbled itself into quiet._

_"We are gathered here today to bear witness to the execution of Uzumaki Naruto, former Konoha Shinobi and S-Rank traitor, for the crimes of High Treason and attempted murder of a Clan Head."_

_Thunderous applause._

_'__**All humans are the same; love the sound of their own voices**__' murmured the fox._

_"As a shinobi he is allowed one honour; death at the hands of one of his fellow shinobi. Will the appointed step forward?"_

_The cheers intensified as Sasuke stepped forward. The crowd eagerly approved of the Uchiha being the one to 'exorcise the demon'._

_"Any last words?" asked Danzo as Sasuke bared his arm to the shoulder._

_Naruto remained silent and shrugged his shoulders, glaring Sasuke dead in his blood red eyes._

_"Very well," smirked Sasuke. "Chidori!"_

_The fist passed clean through his chest, rupturing his heart and exploding out his back in a shower of blood. Sasuke ran him through to the shoulder, his ear pressed near Naruto's lips. Sasuke smiled widely. 'With the Mangekyo Sharingan, I can finally kill Itachi!'_

_Naruto spat up blood._

_"S-Sas-uke, I…I win…"_

_And with his last strength he smiled. It was the soft gentle smile Naruto had given long ago, before all this. Above the cheers of the crowd, Hinata's scream and whimpering sobs were hidden as she buried herself into Kurenai's embrace. In the crowd, a disguised Tsunade silently wept at the death of her little brother figure._

_Sasuke's scream silenced everything. Everyone knew that he should have gained the Mangekyo Sharingan. It was the villages only hope of defeating Itachi and the Akatsuki. But they all saw Sasuke staring into the metal of Naruto's headband and saw what Naruto had done. He had, with his final hours, denied Sasuke the one thing he desired from him._

_The death of his best friend._

Envy gasped as the memories stopped pouring into his head. He shakily got to his feet and glared at Truth and demanded, "What was that? What were those memories and why did you show them to me?" All previous caution forgotten and his previous personality started to shine through.

Truth's smile seemed to lessen to an extent as he explained, "**Well Envy, you see the memories you saw were the ones of your former life. After your death as Naruto, your soul was so twisted by your emotions and, due to the release of energy from the Kyubi, it was sent into a different dimension. Your soul became part of a collective of souls that formed a being known as Homunculus, who eventually became the one you know as 'Father.' However, it has been decided that you deserve a second chance for the life you could have had as Naruto. If it wasn't for certain events, you would have lived a long, happy life and would have even been savior of the world. But, due to Danzo's plotting, you were killed before your time and the Universe is in peril. Now I ask you, will you except my offer to go back?**"

Envy stared at the being for a moment before chuckling darkly and saying, "Even if what you showed me is true and I was this 'Naruto' person, why would I ever want to go back to that hellhole?"

Truth sighed and said, "**Have you ever wondered why you were so jealous of humans? It's not simply because you reflected your 'Father's' emotions, but because of the life you lead as Naruto. You never had a true family and you were never fully treated as a human for a select few. You always coveted Sauske in that everything seemed to come easily to him and how he achieved the acceptance and recognition you always wanted. That is the reason why you envied humans, and why you hated the Fullmetal Alchemist and his group. They reminded you of the life you once lived: how Edward Elric was so much like Naruto in that he was loud, brash, and loyal to his friends. Mustang and Scar reminded you of Sauske in that they had both arrogance and an obsession with revenge. Hawkeye reminded you of Tsunade in her strength and devotion. All of these and more led you to have a strong hatred and feeling of jealousy towards humans.**"

"That may be," growled Envy, "but that still doesn't give me a reason to go back you idiot!"

"**What about those you care for, what about…Hinata?**"

Before Envy's eyes a window appeared in the white space before him that revealed… Konoha.

The very sight filled him with anger. But it also felt comforting in a dark obscure way. There was his old apartment block, there was the Hogake Monument, there was the Ichiraku Ramen Stand, and there was the Academy, there the Cemetery. Every sight familiar and once beloved. It gave a feeling of deja vu. The mirror moved in on the Hyuga Mansion, zooming in on Hinata's room. In the three years she had changed a great deal. Her hair was now down to the small of her back in long dark lavender tresses and her body was clothed in a long light grey and purple jacket with cargo trousers. It appeared she had developed further as well as her breasts were now larger and made her look even more mature and more beautiful.

She was kneeling in front of a small shrine, her hands clasped in prayer. The mirror moved into an over the shoulder view. The shrine was simple, but well kept, as if it was the most important thing in the room. The small alcove contained a small picture of Naruto in a gilt frame, grinning broadly, as well as a bloodstained and filthy Konoha headband, and a pair of chopsticks bound with a velvet bow. Hinata's soft voice echoed out of the mirror, and Envy felt himself weaken at her words.

"Hello, Naruto-kun. I'm sorry but I've been on a mission for a while, so I haven't had a chance to talk to you. Nothing much here as changed since I was here last. Kiba and Shino help me to carry on more and more. Rock Lee helps as well, but sometimes it's just a struggle getting out of bed. Tsunade has changed so much, even more over the last few weeks. I saw Jiraya in the wilderness. He still remembers you fondly, and cried with me when we talked about you. Naruto-kun, I'm so, so sorry. My father wishes me to marry soon. He's even selected a nobleman already. I've told him I don't want to marry, that the only man I'll ever love is gone, but he won't hear of it. I'm sorry Naruto-kun, but it might be that…that we shall meet again soon." 

The image cut off after that and Envy turned towards Truth, a show of true anger and grief across his face. "W-WHY WOULD YOU SHOW ME THAT!" he yelled, "Is this because of what I've done in this world?! Is it because I've followed Father?!"

Truth shook his head, "**No, nothing as petty as that, I merely wish to show you what awaits should you chose to go back. I assure you it would be better than rotting in Hell for all eternity."**

Envy seemed to calm down a bit and said, "Fine…I'll go, but just so you know that if I do, a lot of people are going to know the meaning of the word suffering!"

Truth's smile took on a sinister edge and said, "**Oh I'm aware, but you should remember who is guilty and who is innocent. Eighty years of self-satisfaction doesn't seem to make up for an eternity of suffering later. I'd recommend you go to Suna first, an old friend of yours is going to need your help in three days' time. Oh and Envy, don't be surprised if your Philosopher's Stone feels different than before, and if an old acquaintance decides to join you on your journey~!" **The last few sentences were said in a disturbingly sing-song voice.

Before the Homunculus could ask the being what it meant by that the large gate behind him slowly opened. He turned around and saw a suffocating darkness surrounding the largest eye he'd ever seen! Suddenly, multiple shadow-like hands reached out and grabbed onto him, pulling him into the gate. Before the doors closed on him, Envy heard Truth give one last goodbye: 

"**Good luck, Naruto Uzumaki, the Jealous Fox!**"

**AN:** So what do you guys think? I've read quite a few of The Infamous Man's challenge stories, especially the 'What if Naruto was betrayed by Konoha and comes back as one of the Espada' story plot. I even used some scenes from similar stories to help write this fic. I've also seen stories that had 'Naruto is Envy' plots so I figured, why not combine the two? As of now my One Piece story takes priority but I thought I'd get this idea out there. This is my challenge to you, my readers: 'What if Naruto was betrayed by Konoha and comes back as one of the Homunculi?' I hope you all enjoy and I've got a few surprises for next chapter. Please Read and Review!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the anime/manga/movies/etc. that I write about; otherwise I would be a millionaire NOT writing on fanfiction publishing my own ideas.

**Chapter 2**

Envy groaned as he sat up. He blinked at the harsh light glaring in his eyes from the sun in the cloudless sky.

'_I'm starting to get the feeling that waking up in random places is becoming a habit for me. Joy.'_ The Homunculus thought sarcastically. He then looked around to see where that dick Truth had planted his sorry ass. The androgynous looking man started as he saw he was close to a hillside with two graves at the top. Both had simple wooden crosses while one had a sword almost as large as he was sitting in the background and the other had a simple sash hanging over it. With his newly regained memories, Envy realized he was in Wave country and the two graves were for Zabuza and Haku.

The humanoid chameleon sat at the foot of the hill for a few minutes trying to regain his bearings and to reflect on his raging headache from the memories pounding at his skull. He felt a stab of regret staring at the two graves. Haku was one of the people who greatly influenced his life as Naruto and, Envy's bloodthirsty nature poked through, Zabuza was a human he could respect for the sheer chaos and pain he could inflict on others. The shape shifter got up on shaky legs and walked up to the large sword, the Neck Carving Blade, and placed a hand on it. Since he would be going up against powerful opponents in the near future, it would make sense that he should carry a powerful weapon. Plus, it would be his way of paying his respects to Zabuza by making sure his blade was used as how it was supposed to, instead of just picking up moss on a hillside. Plus plus, it made him look like a badass.

Envy was easily able to lift the large blade out of the ground due to his strength from his true form, which was easily hidden by his human façade. He gave the sword a few practice swings before stringing it to his back using the leather strip tied to the handle. He may not have Wrath's skills when it came to a sword, but Envy had studied multiple weapons in his near two centuries of life and was able to pick up the basics. Also, he remembered how he used a kunai as Naruto.

Figuring he'd stop at the village before heading to Sand, sense it was closer than the Leaf Village by about a day and a half. Also, the Homunculus would like to see if Tazuna, Inari, and Tsunami were around sense it would help get rid of the longing he felt in his core, which he assumed was the Naruto part of him that wanted to see his old friends and loved ones. He quickly headed off in the direction of the village before he smelt smoke. Getting a bad feeling, he shifted his appearance into a dog and left the sword against a nearby tree. The disguised being quietly crept into the village and what he saw both excited and infuriated him. The people of Wave were all lined up in the streets with a group of around ten shinobi standing guard over them.

The ninjas seemed to be brutally interrogating the villagers, which excited the Homunculus until he noticed that they were all wearing Root ANBU masks, which caused him to see red. One of the Root ninja grabbed a random man and started to ask him questions in a dead sounding voice, but Envy was too far away that he couldn't make out what he was saying even with his dog-sensitive ears. The man stood defiantly before spitting on the ANBU's mask covered face. The ninja didn't hesitate before drawing his tip-less tanto and stabbed the man strait in the stomach. Envy knew enough human anatomy to know that that sort of wound would cause a slow, painful death. Sure enough, the man collapsed on the street in a spurt of blood and lay twitching on the ground as a pool of crimson formed around him while the other villagers watched on in horror.

Normally Envy would love the display of such carnage and despair, but he knew that Wave was one of the few places where he ever felt wanted as Naruto so he resolved to protect it with his life. He quickly crept back to his new sword before gripping the handle in his teeth before going back to the town and placing it in a place where he could easily access it if things got too hot for him to handle but out of the way enough that it wouldn't be spotted by unwanted eyes. The dog-disguised boy then shifted back into his original form before sneaking up on one of the Root ninja as quietly as he could. Years of being a spy and the stealth skills he kept as Naruto (being able to paint a mountain-sized monument in broad daylight, as well as many other pranks wasn't easy you know!) allowed him to easily get the drop on the unsuspecting ninja despite his great weight.

Envy quickly dragged the ANBU into the shadows where he killed him with a quick snap of the neck. He then took off the ninja's mask to quickly study his face before shifting into the guard he killed. The Homunculus then went back to the guard's position just in time to see the apparent leader drag Inari up for questioning. Envy's stomach clenched at the sight of the boy who looked up to Naruto as a brother about to be tortured and killed.

Knowing he needed to act fast, he quickly approached the leader and said, "Sir, I believe I've seen several enemy shinobi trying to flank our position. We should hold off on the interrogations until the enemy has been dealt with."

Despite how flimsy that sounded, Envy was relieved to see that the dumb masked bastard actually bought his 'warning' and ordered eight of the other soldiers to follow the disguised Homunculus, including himself, while two others had to stand watch but were ordered not to touch the prisoners. Envy started to lead the group away from the village to the place where he hid his sword. Once they reached the area, Envy quickly grabbed the handle before turning 180 degrees, chopping six of the closely flanking Root members into brisket while the other two, including the leader, where able to jump away in time. Instead of the usually yells, curses, or accusations that normally arise from this situation, the two living ninjas simply fell into attack positions while Envy shouldered his weapon. That was the trouble with dealing with emotionless drones; you can't cause fear or distress on them easily.

Figuring in a fair fight the ninja's would have him at a disadvantage, Envy slammed his sword into the ground before causing a small dust storm. The one Root grunt tried to sense the enemy and saw a shadowy figure in front of him. The shinobi fired a stream of kunai and shuriken at the approaching figure, but it turned out to be one of the bodies of his recently killed comrades. The grunt tried to back off but the body was flung on top of him while a large blade pierced both bodies through the chest, killing the grunt immediately. Envy then saw the leader jump out of the cloud and head towards the village, most likely to either gather reinforcements or hold the villagers as hostage. Envy quickly swung the blade at the fleeing captain at an impressive speed until the buzz saw bifurcated the Root member.

Envy quickly shifted his appearance into a more disheveled state with rips in the clothes and bloodstains all over him (which were real) and ran back to the village.

"Quick, it was an ambush! We need reinforcements!" the disguised chameleon shouted to the two remaining Root members. The ANBU ran up to where Envy was and as soon as they started running past him, he shifted his arms into blades and slammed them into their backs. Pulling his arms out of the now deceased ninja he walked over to where the villagers were being held as they backed off in fear. Envy quickly dropped his disguise and the villagers relaxed, though only slightly. The Jealous one undid each of their shackles chained around their legs with a key he found in the captain's pocket.

A man he recognized instantly as Tazuna stepped forward. "Thank you, stranger. If you hadn't arrived it would have been all our asses in the fire! My name is Tazuna, the Super bridge builder and leader of this village. May I ask who are you?"

While on the inside he was jumping for joy at seeing the old drunk, Envy was able to keep his cocky composure in place as he replied, "Oh, I'm just your everyday traveler. I noticed your bug problem and decided to lend a hand. I'm called…Elric." The Homunculus figured an alias would be the best for the time being till he took stock of the situation.

Tazuna nodded in understanding and said, "Well Elric, I think I speak for everyone here when I say we all thank you so much for your assistance and we would be honored if you spent at least the night as my honored guest. We may not be the best village in the world but we sure as hell know how to show proper gratitude!"

With that the villagers started cheering and random villagers ran forward to shake his hand or bow to him as they offered their thanks. Envy felt something that he hadn't truly felt for a long time, happiness. It was good to have acknowledgment, even if it was coming from lowly humans. In a few hours the town was set up for a celebration after the bodies of the Root ninja were unceremoniously torched while the body of the dead villager was given a solemn burial. Tables were set up and music played while plates of food were brought out. Envy, realizing how hungry he was for not eating in days, quickly tucked in to the food set before him and the plates soon started to pile up around him. After he'd eaten enough to make two full grown men want to get their stomachs pumped, he sat back and engaged in conversation. It was weird at first because he hadn't had a decent talk with a human in years that wasn't filled with mockery and insults, but he was soon able to chat away with the other villagers.

Soon Tazuna and his family sat down next to him and the old man started talking to him a bit louder than normal, most likely thanks to the sake bottle in his hands. "So Elric, I noticed you wear a headband and where able to do that thing with your arms and disguised yourself as one of those Leaf bastards, are you a ninja?" Tazuna asked in a slur.

"I was a ninja, a long time ago. My home country was called Amestris and it is far to the west of the Elemental Nations. I was betrayed by my comrades and left for dead so I just stuck with being a wanderer for the rest of my days. The transformations you saw me do were a type of bloodline that I possess and I'd rather not talk too much about it. If you don't mind me asking, why were those Root stooges attacking your village? I was under the impression that Wave and the Leaf Village were under a trade agreement?" inquired Envy, hoping to gain some information on what was going on since his 'death.'

The group's mood soured and it was Inari who answered, "Those Root ninja came here for two reasons. The first was to force us to rename the bridge, which we named after the hero of Wave. Those bastards executed him three years ago because he successfully carried out a mission but harmed their oh-so-precious Uchiha!" Inari started crying tears of anger and hate, "The second reason was to track down a missing-nin of theirs named Iruka Umino."

Envy, who was drinking out of a sake bottle at the time, did a spit take at this tidbit of information. Unfortunately he spit right on Tazuna's face, causing him to give an indignant yelp. 'Iruka-sensei,' the Homunculus thought in shock. He hadn't seen the scared teacher since before he was imprisoned as Naruto, and thought the man had hated him like the rest of the villagers. That his older brother treatment towards Naruto was nothing more than a cruel joke. After apologizing to Tazuna, Envy asked, "Why were they looking for a missing-nin here?"

"This was the last known location the man stopped at two and a half years ago. Apparently, whenever our hero was slated for execution, Iruka was one of the ones who tried the hardest to have him released, he was so desperate that they wouldn't even let him see the boy for fear he would try to break him out," explained Tsunami, "After his former student's death, he became a depressed drunkard and was able to flee the village. One of his stops was here because he'd heard what our hero, Naruto, did for our village and wanted to give us the news personally. He left a while ago though, so no one knows where he's at now but apparently they haven't caught him yet because that was one of the main things Konoha's been asking us."

'Iruka did all that…for me? My death affected him that much?' Envy thought in shock and made a mental note that he'd find Iruka right after he rescues Hinata.

Envy asked about the current state of the Elemental Nations, saying it'd been years since he last visited. What he found out wasn't good. Apparently Danzo had been holding a fascist reign in the Leaf Village and was expanding the village's borders. The other Shinobi villages were unable to attack them for some reason and anyone who tried to oppose them ended up dead. It soon got close to midnight and when Tazuna's family offered that he stay for the night, Envy happily accepted to rest and go over what he learned. As he lay on the bed, that he remembered with a jolt as the one he slept in as Naruto, Envy went over his options. His current situation wasn't looking good to say the least.

With the Leaf Village gaining more power and the other villages making no move to stop them (he made a mental note to gather more information as to why that is), his chances of winning his own private war looked bleak, even with a full powered Philosopher's…Stone…wait a second. Envy sat up with a jolt and thought, 'How could that be?! My stone was destroyed yet I was able to change my form with ease! Not only that but it doesn't feel like my stone's power was depleted at all!' Remembering Truth's departing words on how his stone would be different, Envy decided to take the initiative and, getting into a meditative position, checked his mindscape in hopes of figuring out what was up with his stone.

Instead of seeing a torrent of trapped human souls that usually greeted him when he visited his mindscape, he found himself in a long corridor that reminded him of Father's lair, or a sewer. 'What happened here and why does this feel so familiar?' Envy wondered as he trudged through the knee-deep water that flooded the corridor. Eventually the shape shifter found himself in a large room with a cage on the other side that was held shut by a single slip of paper with the word 'Seal' written on it. Jealousy incarnate slowly approached the cage as he heard what sounded like breathing coming from the dark portion of the cage. He was within a few feet from the cage when giant claws suddenly burst from the cage and came close to crushing him! Envy quickly jumped back with a startled yelp that made him sound like a little girl, much to his embarrassment.

Deep laughter came from the cage and a pair of red eyes shone from the darkness in the cage. A dark voice said, "**Heh, you're still too easy to scare, brat. Even after all these years you fell for the same old trick.**" At that, the Nine Tailed Fox came into the light of the room. Envy stared in shock at his old burden, not comprehending how the fox would still be alive or in him of all things! The fox saw the look on Envy's face and started laughing again in earnest. "**You keep that look and you'll end up catching bugs in your mouth, yah brat!**"

Envy's mouth shut with an audible click and his temper came rearing its ugly head. "Don't call me a brat, yah bastard fox! And how in the hell are you still inside my body? I thought you died, you dick!"

The Kyuubi was able to contain his laughter and adopted a serious look as he looked at his transformed container. "**I thought so too Kit. After that damned Uchiha killed us I thought for sure I was a goner. Instead of finding myself in Hell I ended up in some white space with some being who called himself 'Truth'. He said my role wasn't finished yet and showed me your new life since the day you were reborn. Nice work on making those humans miserable Kit, we'll make a man out of you yet,**" Kyuubi said with a smirk, "**After your second death, Truth gave me a very interesting deal. He told me that if I went back to being sealed into you for the rest of your natural life, I'd be free after you die and wouldn't have to worry about the possibility of the Shinigami taking my soul.**"

Envy stared suspiciously at the large fox and asked, "So what does it mean, you being sealed inside me? Does it have something to do with the changes to my Philosopher's Stone?"

"**Ding-Ding! We have a winner!**" Kyuubi exclaimed in a joking manner, "**You are 100% correct Kit. Truth explained to me that my chakra is now what powers your Stone instead of human souls, so you still have access to you regeneration and shape-shifting powers. As long as I still have chakra, you won't die from unnatural means. Since my chakra is near infinite and can be replenished, you shouldn't have to worry about dying for a good long while. However,**" at this Kyuubi gained a dangerous tone, "**that doesn't me you can be reckless! Use my chakra like an idiot and I'll let you get your dumb ass killed!**"

Envy was, to put it mildly, shocked. With those types of abilities, he'd be next to invincible! Before he could ponder more on this, Kyuubi continued, "**There are a few more things I forgot to mention. One: you do **_**not**_** have free reign over my chakra. You want it; you'll have to figure out how to get it yourself. Two: your old chakra network has been restored, so you'll have access to the moves you had as Naruto. Three: whenever you shape-shift into a new person, from now on you'll also be mimicking their chakra signature so that not even the most skilled sensor can figure out you're a fake. There are a few small details, but I'll let you figure those out by yourself.**"

"Heh, Truth really went all out didn't he?" Envy mused over his surprise at the new information. While it's true he didn't have much in his arsenal as Naruto, with his newer skills and experience he'd be a force to be reckoned with. It made sense, the Jealous thought reluctantly. Even though he liked to think of himself as though, the truth was that as Envy, he wasn't as much of a fighter, preferring stealth missions and information gathering and, if the situation called for it, psychological torture. His only true big guns he had for a fight were his true form, and Mustang, Scar, and that girl from Xing proved that his larger form proved nothing more than a more convenient target to hit. If he went against someone as Sauske or Danzo as he was now he'd get creamed so bad it wouldn't even be funny.

The only reason he won against those Root stooges was because he was able to take them by surprise. You see, Envy's shape-shifting was more complex than the simple Henge any academy student could perform. When he changed into another person, he literally _became _that person in the physical sense. That meant things like scent and DNA, and now apparently chakra, were that of the person he was mimicking. The Root members he killed couldn't detect that he wasn't the genuine article, so they didn't suspect that he was an imposter.

Envy stared up at the Nine-Tailed Fox and, grinning evilly, said, "Well then, mister Kyuubi, it looks like we are in store for a beautiful partnership! I have a feeling we'll cause so much fun! But first, I guess reintroductions are in order. My name is Envy the Jealous. My likes are people who I can trust, Hinata, ramen, and causing others misery. My dislikes are arrogant assholes, certain duck ass Uchihas, mummies, and pink banshees, a majority of Konoha like the civilians and Root ANBU. My hobbies include inflicting pain on the deserving, plotting revenge on those who wronged me, and filling the whole in my life that is envy. My dreams for the future are to reunite with the girl who has always loved me and to teach the morons in Konoha the meaning of suffering!"

Kyuubi grinned and said, "**Well hello Envy, my name is usually the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon, but my true name that I give to those I respect is Kurama. My likes are freedom and causing destruction on a large scale. My dislikes are Uchihas and anyone seeking to control or imprison me. My hobbies are none of your business but my dream is to help my container achieve his goals, earn my freedom, and if possible have revenge on those who've wronged me in the past!**" With that, the now named Kurama extended his hand-like paw through the bars of the seal in a fist and, getting what the fox wanted, Envy bumped his fist against the fox's, marking the beginning of an unholy alliance for Konoha.

**Scene Break**

Envy stood before the villagers of Wave the next morning. He had a kunai holster and shuriken pouch around his waist, courtesy of some Root ninja who would no longer need them. His sword was placed in a storage seal he made earlier with the help of his newly remembered skills. The villagers were wishing him the best of luck on his journey while Inari was giving a tearful wave to Wave's newest hero. Envy gave a heartfelt wave and, for the first time in many years, used his chakra to speed through the trees. He felt a few tears leak out of the corner of his eyes as some of the people he truly cared about vanished from site, as well as the bridge that was named after the man he once was. It was truly a heart-warming moment until he accidently over powered one of his leaps and he crashed humorously into an oncoming tree.

After pulling his head out of the bark of the tree and setting his nose before it set crooked, he could almost hear Kurama in the seal laughing his furry ass off. "Gimme a break, I haven't done this $#!^ in nearly 200 years. I just need some practice is all!" With that, the Homunculus dusted himself off and headed off again towards the Hidden Sand Village.

**Scene Break (Mt. Myoboku)**

"Pops! Come quick!" cried a human sized orange toad with blue lining.

"**What is it, Gamakichi? Can't you see I'm trying to relax here?!**" bellowed a toad the size of the Kyuubi who was burnt red in color and had a sword sheathed at his side.

"I know but, look at boss' old signature on the summoning contract! It's active again!"

"…**Summon Jiraya immediately.**"

**AN: **Whoo, crazy month huh? Lot of crap going on with Naruto and the other manga. I mean, seriously Kishimoto should just get on with telling us who Naruto's going to be with! Smart moneys on Hinata but you never know! Also, while I honestly don't **hate** Sauske, I still wanted to bitch-slap him for the Hokage comment. Let it be known that the only characters I hate in Naruto are Madara, Post-Shippuden Obito, Orochimaru, and Danzo. Still read the occasional bashing fic, just as long as they don't overdo it. Now as for Minato having Kurama's chakra, way I see it, it was stated by the Third that the two beings sealed in the Shinigami's stomach will fight for all eternity well, what if Minato did what Naruto did and was able to beat Kurama's chakra, since it didn't have his will to guide it, and took it as his own? That's my theory anyway.

For those of you wondering, yes I made Envy's shape-shifting powers similar to White Zetsu, he just can't use the person he's imitating's attacks. Hopefully I made Envy's fight believable and was able to explain enough on his current powers. The reason I gave him back Naruto's abilities is that I wanted to give him more of an edge against more powerful shinobi without overpowering him. Also hope I got the characters' personalities down well enough. Hope you all enjoy! Next up is an update for Kid Kyubi if I can ever figure out how to write a good dialogue for the characters and good action sequences. As always, please READ and REVIEW! Till next time all!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the anime/manga/movies/etc. that I write about; otherwise I would be a millionaire NOT writing on fanfiction publishing my own ideas.

**Chapter 3**

**Somewhere in Wind Country…**

Envy gave an aggravated sigh as he leaped over yet _another _sand dune. "Seriously? Why is it people keep living in freaking deserts?! First the Ishvalans now Suna! It took me forever last time to get the sand completely off of me!" he whined.

Inside the seal, Kurama rolled his eyes at his host's actions. **"Quit your complaining brat, we're almost there. I can feel Shukaku's presence getting closer, it should just be another hour till we run into him and that runt he calls a host."**

"Well excuse me for expressing my opinion! Besides, it's so hot and dry that without both my endurance and the bit of water I brought from Wave, I would've probably died of heat-stroke by now! Also, I'd love to see you try trudging through this weather with that thick fur coat on, yah fur ball," Envy seethed.

"…**Touché," **Kurama relented, seeing his host's point.

All was silent for the next few minutes until Envy saw something that caused his eyes to narrow. 'Smoke? What in the world's causing _that_?' he thought to himself.

"**Kid! I sense Shukaku's presence moving at a fast pace in that direction!" **Kurama warned his host while using his chakra to point Envy in the general direction he felt his sibling headed. Turning away from the smoke, Envy frowned at the new information. Knowing that both smoke coming from Suna's general direction and Gaara's presence going in the opposite direction at a rapid pace couldn't be coincidental, so he decided to follow his instincts and raced after his friend's fading signal. After a few hours of nonstop running (much to Envy's chagrin) the signal finally slowed to a stop and the Homunculus was finally able to reach the location.

The changeling's eyebrows shot up at the sight before him. Two men (at least he assumed they were men) in black cloaks with red clouds, which Envy found vaguely familiar, were fighting against a man in a black body suit with purple war paint on his face and was wielding 3 battle puppets. With a start, Envy recognized the puppet wielder as Kankuro, Gaara's older brother! Deciding to put his stealth skills to good use, Envy crept closer to the battle to get stock of the situation. What he saw next infuriated him. One of the cloaked figures, an effeminate blond man, was riding on top of what looked like a giant bird made of clay, and Gaara was sticking out of its mouth! It was then that the other cloaked man, who looked like some sort of hunchback that was crawling on all fours, had something shoot out of his back straight at Kankuro's unprotected stomach.

Deciding to screw caution, the jealous jumped high into the air before crashing down on the other cloaked man's tail-like appendage, using his great weight to crush the metal weapon like a toothpick. All three spectators' eyes widened at the sudden intrusion, not to mention the seemingly scrawny man was able to crush a solid metal stinger like it was nothing.

Then the blond man shouted, "Who the hell are you, hm?"

Envy turned to the other effeminate man and said mockingly, "Oh, I'm just your regular traveler who was minding his own business before he noticed two bugs that needed to be squashed!"

The hunchback narrowed his eyes and said in a gruff voice, "This isn't your concern boy. Leave now and maybe I won't make you part of my collection."

'_Because _that _didn't make you sound like a pedophile_,' the artificial human thought sarcastically before giving the duo a sick grin. "Well, you see I would, but I've been itching for a good fight lately and who better than two assholes who are trying to run off with one of my friends!"

Kankuro blanched, "Wait, how do you know the Kazekage?"

Envy blinked before turning to the puppet master and said, "Oh, Gaara's the Kazekage now? I'll have to congratulate him on that later. And in answer to your question, yeah I know him. We ran into each other a few years back and parted on friendly terms. I was on my way to visit him before noticing your little scrap and though -"

Whatever Envy was about to say was cut off when the broken end of the tail he smashed swung at his ribs, forcing him to jump back. The hunchback then growled out, "This is taking too much time. Deidara! Take the jinchuriki and go! I'll take care of these pests."

"Oh sure, hog all the fun Sasori, hm," the now named Deidara gave a mock pout before his clay bird started to rise into the air. Suddenly, a huge arm that was greenish tinged with sharp claws at the end suddenly shot up and ripped the head off the bird with Gaara still clutched in its mouth. The group watched in stunned silence as they watched the mutated arm shrink back into the stranger's body, turning back to normal along the way. The man held Gaara in a fireman's carry after ripping his body from the shredded clay. Deidara was the first to snap out of his shock as he yelled angrily, "HEY! I worked hard to get that jinchuriki!" he then held his hand into a hand-sign before yelling, "Have a piece of my art, hm!"

The remains of the clay bird's head started to glow and Envy's eyes widened as the clay detonated in a miniature explosion. "Gaara!" Kankuro shouted in worry as smoke clouded the area his brother was at not a moment ago. Meanwhile, Sasori was busy chewing Deidara out, "You fool! You could have killed the jinchuriki with that little stunt! If you did, I'll kill you for making our plans delayed even further!"

Suddenly, the cloud blew away and the group was once again shocked to find Envy crouched protectively over Gaara's unconscious body with his back a charred mess that would easily kill a normal human. Deidara gave a confident smirk, "See Sasori, the jinchuriki's fine and I was able to take out one annoyance to boot! You worry too-"

Deidara was cut off as Envy suddenly appeared in front of him a delivered a wicked haymaker to his face. The bomber was knocked off his bird and bounced along the sand twice before flipping back onto his feet and gave the Homunculus a glare as he wiped the blood from his now split lip.

"How'd you survive that, hm?! I know I got you with that explosion, and there's no way someone could just walk around with those kind of injuries, hm!"

Envy simply leapt to the ground before the remains of the bird crashed down behind him while casually cracking his neck and gave the bomber a sadistic grin. "Oh yeah, if I was just another weak, pathetic human that'd be it for me. Fortunately," electrical arcs started to come off the man's body as his burn wounds were healed at a rate that'd make Tsunade jealous, "I'm not just some regular human!" Envy finished just as the last of his wounds disappeared.

"I see," Sasori growled out, "You seem to possess a powerful bloodline boy. First there was the fact you shattered my tail with so little effort, then that technique with your arm and now a healing factor that most Bijuu can't match. Who are you?"

The Jealous gave a sickly sweet smile and said, "Well, since you're gonna die anyway I might as well tell you. You may call me Envy the Jealous."

The Homunculus turned towards Kankuro and said, "Hey make-up boy!" Kankuro gained a tick mark at this, "Take Gaara and get some back-up!"

The puppeteer gave a hesitant nod before grabbing the unconscious Kage and sprinting off at high speeds. Deidara made to go after them but was held back when a second Envy appeared behind him and held him in a full nelson. '_Man have I missed Shadow Clone Jutsu,_' Envy thought in reminiscence. "If you want them, you'll have to go through my cold dead corpse!"

You could practically hear the sneer in Sasori's voice as he said, "That's the general idea!" before he ripped off the cloth covering his mouth as thousands of needles shot out at the artificial human. A huge dust cloud was raised from the unending barrage before it finally settled to show a needle-filled landscape but no dead body as the two Akatsuki members expected.

Suddenly, the ground underneath Sasori burst apart as Envy shot out like a jack-in-the-box with a rising uppercut aimed at the man's face! Sasori was somehow able to jump back with surprising ease considering his bulk and noticed the hole that Envy came out of. "I see," he drawled, "You used the debris as cover so I wouldn't notice you burrowing under the sand towards my position. A decent strategy, but you're a decade too early to catch me with such a rookie attack."

Envy just smirked and said, "Well, fortunately for me, you guys are about a century too early to have a prayer with me! Boom!"

Sasori then noticed a sizzling sound coming from his stomach area and looked down to notice a burning explosive note attached to his person. His eyes widened before his back seemed to split open and a cloaked figure jumped out, and a split second later the note went off, setting 'Sasori' up in a ball of flames.

"Damn," the cloaked figure cursed in a highly different voice from Sasori's previous one, "I can't believe I fell for such a tactic. You used the punch as a distraction to place the explosive note on my Hiruko puppet, and I was unable to notice it until the last possible moment thanks to the thick shell surrounding me. A very clever two-pronged attack." The figure then turned to the still restrained Deidara, "How long are you going to play around Deidara? We need to finish him quickly to prevent the others from waiting!"

"Sorry Sasori, hm. I just wanted to see how this brat could stand up to your so called 'art.' Looks like your little doll got torn to pieces with some true art, hm?" Deidara said smugly before the one being held by the Shadow Clone suddenly lost all color as it turned into clay before going off in a miniature explosion. The real Deidara then rose from the sand next to what Envy could only guess was Sasori's real body.

"Tch, like those petty little explosions of yours can be called art. Remember, true art is eternal. Something that is undying and stands up to the test of time," Sasori rebuked before tearing off his cloak to reveal a youngish redheaded boy that looked no older than Deidara and was also wearing an Akatsuki robe.

"Looks like the real fight starts now," Envy mused before getting into a battle stance.

**AN: **Hello my minions! Here's the latest chapter of Jealous Fox, and I hope it was to your liking. It's a little shorter than I had hoped but I have recently thought of making my chapters shorter in order to bring you more chapters that are hopefully of a better quality. The reason Envy was able to get the drop on Sasori is simple: he's a trickster who can manipulate the situation to his favor, and Sasori had slightly underestimated him, thinking he was a simple annoyance. While I like his character, I've noticed Sasori was giving off a pretty cocky vibe during his fight scenes, so it stands to reason he tends to underestimate his opponents. Special thanks to Mon Esprit Libre for Betaing this for me, and to all you who have favorited and/or reviewed so far. I know I said that I wasn't planning on adding on anymore stories to my list for awhile, but I've recently been bombarded by my muse to write an Aliens story, so I ask you all: Should I go for it, or focus on my current works? If you have any suggestions for my stories please feel free to PM and as always, READ and REVIEW!


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